HIRIE at San Diego’s Observatory North Park

It was a stacked night on November 23rd at San Diego’s Observatory Theater North Park, when friends and fans of reggae rock packed the building to the brim in eager anticipation of not one, not two, but FIVE bands! HIRIE concluded their six-week fall tour that night; a homecoming like none other commenced. SoCal reggae […]

Wonderfront 2019: Day Two

Day Two — let’s go! First off, kudos to Wonderfront for their festival companion app! I’ve never seen a more polished festival app that was intuitive, fast, reactive and a must-have for the festival-goer. I started my day with the app and a cup of Joe. Selecting all the acts I wanted to see then […]

Nahko And Medicine For The People at LA’s Fonda Theater

The Take Your Power Back Tour, featuring Nahko And Medicine For The People, came to The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles for two nights. It was one of the last stops on the tour and Ayla Nereo came along as the opener for the last few shows. Ayla started the night off with a dark […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: Kalalea “The One”

Kalalea brings the islands to life in his latest music video for “The One” — a track that premiered earlier in the year off Roots Musician Records. Hawaiian at heart, it’s only natural that Kalalea incorporates the beauty embedded in his island home as a metaphor for the woman who has stolen his heart. “You […]

Bret Bollinger at Jannus Live

On Friday November 1st, Jannus Live welcomed Bret Bollinger & the Bad Habits. Bret Bollinger is well-known from Pepper as the bassist and singer. Along with Bret was special guest Tunnel Vision and Roots of a Rebellion, who all put on one hell of a show. At the end, they even covered the stage together […]

An interview with Scrap Yard Aces

Scrap Yard Aces, a rock-reggae dub band from Huntington Beach, shares their success story with Top Shelf Music journalist Renee Simpson on their recently released album, Sense in This Time. Check out this intimate interview with the band! Can you tell us about the creative process for the new album? We wrote most of the […]

DUBBEST ‘Gold Fever’ album review

If you have not taken a moment to listen to one of reggae hottest upcoming bands, DUBBEST, you are seriously missing out on a musical experience reminiscent of true roots reggae. DUBBEST members, originally from Boston, are now residing in San Diego and have worked their way up through the ranks, currently finishing up a […]

Fortunate Youth at Pomona’s Glass House

On November 13th, Fortunate Youth kicked off their Live Life fall tour at the Glass House in Pamona. They were supported by Kash’d Out and Mike Love. Walking around the venue before the performances, it was great getting to see so many friends and catching up with people I hadn’t seen for a while. I […]

Jason J. rocks the reggae genre with ‘No Refuge’ EP

In case you missed it, Jason J.’s No Refuge EP is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Google Play, Soundcloud and more. The Guamanian singer-songwriter has made quite a name for himself within entertainment circuits after relocating to Los Angeles. Jason, a man of many talents, can be found running sound […]

One Love Cali Reggae Fest reveals massive lineup for 2020

A reggae rock lover travels the world and back for events that incorporate all their favorite artists. Imagine having virtually all reggae artists — from Jamaican reggae to island reggae to Cali reggae and back — all in one place. In one weekend. We cannot stress enough that this is the case for One Love […]

The Movement at Florida’s Jannus Live

October 26th, The Ways of The World Tour was at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, featuring The Movement alongside The Badda Skat Band, The Elovaters and The Late Ones. It was an epic night, with over 1,500 fans packing in at Jannus Live for some of reggae’s best bands. With all their music delivering a […]

Boomshaka returns to San Diego January 2020

Los Angeles might be the home of Hollywood, but San Diego holds down the fort for a music mecca — specifically, reggae. Alternative acts have also risen from this SoCal paradise (cough, Blink-182, Jewel, Stone Temple Pilots, et. Al.), yet reggae rock bands, such as Slightly Stoopid and Tribal Seeds, reign at the top of […]

Roots On 66 2019: Day One (& pre-party!!)

On weekend of September 28th, Roots On 66 Festival in Victorville, California brought reggae music to the high desert. With more than 40 bands connected people through reggae over the weekend, it was like a big backyard party with all your friends. The weekend started off with a pre-party in the camping area, with Elihu […]

Tribal Seeds lit up Jannus Live in St. Petersburg

On Thursday, October 24th, Tribal Seeds came to Jannus Live St. Petersburg, Florida. As Tribal Seeds ended their summer tour with Slightly Stoopid, they set up their fall tour with two amazing bands, Tropidelic and New Kingston. With these three bands together, it was one wild night that everyone who attended will not soon forget. […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Stick Figure “World On Fire” (El Dusty Cumbia Remix)

GRAMMY-nominated producer El Dusty continues his Latin influence on the reggae scene with a remix for the ages. Considering Stick Figure is on top of the world at the moment, there’s no better time than now to remix one of their latest bangers, “World On Fire” featuring Slightly Stoopid’s Kyle McDonald. The original track exudes […]